Various shipping lines and logistics companies have been increasing their volumes at Subic port, seeing it as a viable alternative gateway to Manila.
MCC Philippines, the local unit of MCC Transport, the intra-Asia arm of Danish shipping company giant Maersk Group, said in a statement that its partnership with Subic Bay International Terminal Corp., (SBITC), which operates New Container Terminals (NCT) 1 and 2 in Subic Port, has become “one of the key drivers in expanding our footprint in the Philippine market.”
“The terminal is an excellent alternative gateway to Manila, and through a flexible approach and deep commercial understanding of SBITC’s management, we see positive developments in our efforts to boost volumes into and out of Subic,” MCC Philippines said. The shipping line has been using SBITC’s terminals since December 2014.
Hong Kong-based carrier SITC International Holdings Co., Ltd. has also expanded its operations at Subic port “due to SBITC’s efficiency and quality in their cargo and container handling services.”
SITC said SBITC has contributed to the company’s success in tapping the Filipino market by opening up opportunities for their clients in Northern Luzon to lessen delivery costs to their target market. After shipping a significant volume of cargo last year, SITC is now looking to expand its trade route this year in order to connect North and Central Luzon clients in Subic to major markets in Asia.
Taiwanese container transportation and shipping company Evergreen Line, which started Subic operations in April last year, said it is looking to continue engaging with SBITC.
“We are now focused on targeting our VIP clients to use Subic port and are also working on the second sling in Subic in 2018,” Evergreen Shipping Agency Philippines Corporation said.
SBITC, in a statement, said its container terminals strategically serve the industries within the Freeport zone as well as those in Northern and Central Luzon.
“Subic Bay Freeport Zone continues to be the ideal port in the business centers of Pampanga, Bataan, Clark and Tarlac and has now included inter-island Philippine barge service to connect customers from Palawan to Mindanao to the Visayas with a convenient transshipment port that has access to the rest of the world,” it said.
“We are committed to providing quality services to our partners and maintaining their trust. We want to help them reach potential customers in Northern and Central Luzon. SBITC is more than willing to work hand in hand with our partners in helping their clients tap the Filipino market,” SBITC president Roberto Locsin said.
Aside from managing NCTs 1 and 2, SBITC offers cargo handling services for twenty-foot equivalent units and forty-foot equivalent unit container vans, as well as 45-foot boxes for full container load and specialized cargo.
It also offers a one-stop shop (OSS) that houses Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Seaport Department and Bureau of Customs-Subic operations in one convenient location inside the terminal so businesses can easily and quickly complete their transactions and documentation requirements within the Freeport zone.
Data show that volumes have been on the rise at Subic port since 2014, with containerized cargo growing to 139,980 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2017 from 124,707 TEUs in 2016.
SBITC said this is due to new customers using the port, whose cargoes include fashion accessories like bags from Bataan; trucks and agricultural equipment from Subic; grains, feeds, and fertilizer from Bulacan; and electronic parts and general department store merchandise from Clark.
Other shipping lines calling NCTs 1 and 2 include APL, Wan Hai Lines, Maersk Line, Swire, NYK Line, K Line, Samudera, Sinotrans, and Inter-Asia Lines.
